Investigation on railway investment-induced neighborhood change and local spatial spillover effects in Nagoya, Japan

Abstract

Previous studies have proven the significant causal relationship between railway investment and gentrification in some cities. However, most of them have focused on the gentry and less on the effect on other social classes. To observe how railway investment affects neighborhood change for different population types, this study investigated the investment effects of two urban railway lines separately on the neighborhood change of the gentry, older population, and students in Nagoya, Japan. These two railway lines consisting of a subway and an elevated railway opened in the same year and were located in different areas of the city. Moreover, the spatial autocorrelation in panel data was considered to investigate possible local spillover effects. Finally, we observed that the railway investments in highly urbanized areas were more likely to induce gentrification. In addition, railway investment has some significant treatment effects on students compared to the older population.